Cross posted from : Rubble
Occupy Portland - N17: Occupy the Banks! Portland, Oregon. 11:05 AM
May Day – What’s Happening? | Occupy Portland:
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20 excuses to get out of work!
Not all of these events have the consented support of the Occupy Portland General Assembly
I have many pictures and videos that are currently loading up on my computers for editing. I will be posting these ASAP, not letting them sit forever like the Eviction and N17 photos and videos, which I also want to be done with by the end of the weekend.
Yesterday I had to bug out early, around 2 PM, to take my son to an appointment. Before I left, I saw no incidents with the police, though there might have been a little incident down around the federal courthouse that I did not witness directly, being distracted by taking pictures of the umbrella in the antlers…
Anyway…
Wednesday’s protest was called “F29,” as in February 29. Demonstrations were held in Portland and across the country to draw attention to a group called the American Legislative Exchange Council, also known as ALEC.
The Occupy movement’s biggest issue is with large corporations that they say use ALEC to craft legislation that favorable to them. The proposed laws are then forwarded to state lawmakers where they’re introduced in individual states.
Occupiers say that gives the appearance of popular support across the nation for any one particular issue. The protesters argue that’s essentially rigging the nation’s political system.
“Our goal today is to draw attention to the companies that are involved in ALEC and to expose that the biggest companies in the world are writing as much as 10 percent of the legislation that passes through our House here in Oregon,” said Brian Sloan with Occupy Portland.
Those behind the Occupy movement say ALEC allows corporations to influence laws without being held directly accountable for what those laws do.
7 arrests in Occupy Portland F29 protest | kgw.com Portland:
Portland Police called the demonstrations well facilitated, generally peaceful and largely non-contentious. Lt. Robert King says F29 organizers designated a police liaison which made for reduced tension and more effective communication between police and protesters.
In all, seven people were arrested throughout the day. At the Wells Fargo Tower, three people were charged with criminal trespassing after they chained themselves to property with bike locks.
Two were arrested along SW Broadway for vandalism after jumping on a Verizon van. At a Bank of America at NE 12th and Broadway, two people were arrested for criminal trespassing after they refused to leave.
While I was there, the only riot police I saw were staying about six blocks away from the march. As the march moved through the city, they would move as well, but keeping their distance unless legitimately needed. This sort of staging plan seemed to work well from what I saw, since closer proximity always seems to provoke people rather than deter people.
This article refers to an event late Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning…
Anarchists, Occupy split over bank vandalism | kgw.com Portland:
On their twitter account, Occupy fired back Wednesday morning at the vandals. "To the rock tossers: Thank you for not hiding behind Occupy and forcing peaceful marchers to take a beating for you this time."
Earlier this month, Occupy Portland activists called out anarchists who resorted to vandalism during a march on police use of force. Some marchers turned on each other as windows in cars and a restaurant were broken.
An anti-bank march last November called N17 turned ugly, with activists accusing the police of excessive force and police saying they were trying to keep roadways clear. The conflict received national attention because of a dramatic use of pepper spray by police. An image from that protest captured by an Oregonian photographer received worldwide distribution through social networks.
'F29' protesters take aim at corporations during march - KPTV - FOX 12:
The group spoke out specifically against the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, which is comprised of America's largest corporations like ExxonMobil, Wells Fargo and McDonalds.
When the demonstrators approached a building housing one of those corporations, they chanted and waved signs at those inside.…
A group appearing to be separate from Occupy Portland vandalized two banks and a Starbucks shop overnight, and then emailed a statement to media in which they wished the Occupy movement good luck with its protest.
Just for giggles, I checked Fox News.com… There is nothing on the landing page about any Occupation activities anywhere yesterday.
I suppose if they mentioned the F29 actions, they would have to mention ALEC, which would probably anger their dark overlords. (The local Portland affiliate is much less evil.)
Fox did have room on their home page for this today: “Escorts claim Utah law makes acting sexy illegal.” Insert your own joke about Fox News on-camera “talent.” Nothing from Fox on the politics page, either, though they did have room, again, for the article I mentioned above.
To be fair, I could not find mention of any actions on CNN.com or MSNBC, either. I guess the other actions around the country were not as big of a deal as was hoped.
If the main goal of the protest was 1) to call attention to ALEC, and 2) to remind people that people are still pissed off and that the Occupation is still active, then I think the day, in Portland, at least, was a success.
The next several videos are from someone who seems to be looking for dirt on the occupation. I do respect the fact that he actually went down and took a look at what was going on, but I am not sure that these videos actually accomplish his goals.
Uh oh, dude put on a bandana. The barbarians are at the gates!
I disagree with calling the cops assholes. I, however, agree that the horses and cars are owned by the people. Using the banners to provide a safe barrier between the horses and the crowd was a well-planned part of the action and a great idea.
This appears to show the tensest part of the day. It was after I left, so I am not sure. This is nothing compared to N17, and it looks like the police handled themselves well. (No pepper spray!)
With this next video, I saw this and I am actually on this video in the background (black hood with camera, 1:02), taking a picture from the other side of the horses. There was no incident here.
Ah, shucks. Vandalism!
Hee, hee… I love this next one. The only thing I don’t like is that there were as many photographers in there as there were protesters! McDonalds… Not worth risking jail for?
This person finally caught some real dirt on this last clip.
Yes, the fellow with the umbrella is a moron and you have called him out. My only disappointment with the protesters here is that no one pulled him aside and shut him down. The whole point of actions like this is to bring media attention to issues such as ALEC, and this sort of behavior does nothing to support the cause.
I've seen some idiots get really out of line, much worse than this, with the Fox 12 crews, which is very lame. Fox 12 is very balanced compared to the cable network and many other local Fox affiliates around the country.
I've also witnessed many of its staff expressing a lot of sympathy and support, off camera, for the Occupy movement, at least earlier on. This includes on-air personalities.
If these were the worst incidents of the day, then it was a very good day indeed. Good behavior marks all around, to both the protesters and the police.
My take is that the mood was very different than the November actions. It felt a lot more like the opening rally and march on October 6. Obviously the eviction was going to be a tense and violent time, but I think the feelings from that night and day spilled over to taint the actions of N17, both with the police and with the protesters, more than they would have if the two events had a little more space between them.
Occupy Portland - F29: Shut Down the Corporations. Morrison Bridge. Portland, Oregon. February 27, 2012. Photo of the Day, February 28, 2012.
deviantArt: Prints, cards, mugs, mouse pads, magnets, puzzles and other products.
from tag Corporations
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| From 2011-11-17 (Occupy Portland - N17) |
Goals for Occupy Portland | Portland Occupier:
Occupy must not be captured by narrow interests and lose sight of its goals. If we are fighting for the 99%, then we must stand for principles that most of the 99%, and nearly all of us, will agree with. We cannot win a fight for democracy unless we stay focused on what we’re working for, remain unified, and have the support of the majority of the public. We must strive to avoid fractious issues and fighting battles we cannot win.
Occupy Portland needs a simple document that affirms the right of the people to govern and lays down the basic principles on which we all can stand. We can and should evaluate many specific proposals from all of our supporters and take action to support the ones that match our principles, and oppose those that conflict, whether in our city, state, or nation. Issues change; tactics change; principles remain.
The Declaration of Occupy Portland | Portland Occupier:
I have seen a vision of the end of Occupy Portland. It looks like a meeting with no actionable agenda, no notes, and no plan for a follow-up meeting. It is organized–maybe–on Facebook alone. And it will have the phrases “ninety-nine percent”, “unity”, and “positive” repeated upwards of twenty times each.
It looked a lot like the Convention for the Declaration of Occupy Portland, held at the Mission Theater on the night of Sunday, December 19th. If I thought for a second that this meeting was all there was to the Occupation, I might have been convinced that this was the end. Thankfully, I know better. But if you want to quantify the distance between this event and a consensus GA after shutting down the city on a Tuesday afternoon in October, it would be measured in miles.
Occupy Portland: "NATIONAL DECLARATION OF OCCUPY PORTLAND TO CONGRESS"
By Owen Sanders in Occupy Portland
This is the proposed draft of the national Declaration of Occupy Portland to Congress. The Declaration contains a preamble, which details our grievances, as well as our belief that conservative and liberal ideas are not naturally opposed but are actually naturally complimentary. Next come the 32 demands, which offer a bold and comprehensive set of solutions to our common problems. Then the Second Bill of Rights, as originally envisioned by FDR with some additions to reflect our 21st century needs. The final paragraph details the strategies we will use to get our demands met. Please let me know what you think, and whether you would be willing to adopt this document as our official Declaration!
Some videos going around on Facebook and other places recently originate from Anonymous, and I am sure that many believe, because of their topical relevance, that they are from people within the Occupation Movement.
While I am sure that there are many members of Anonymous that are also participating in the Occupation Movement, it is a separate entity.
Both groups, however, like to don the Guy Fawkes masks…
I spotted this first clip via Mashable.
"Will Work For Democracy" Sign shot at the Occupy Portland launch rally on October 6, 2011
$13.99
http://www.cafepress.com/aflitt.602161919
http://www.deviantart.com/print/23272916/
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| Chapman Square. Portland, Oregon. November 17, 2011. From 2011-11-17 (Occupy Portland - N17) - Photo |
I need to focus on some other projects, not on posts. But this was a bit much for me
Itemized list: Repairs at Occupy Portland parks | kgw.com Portland
Looking at the list, quite a bit of this needed to be done anyway. It gets to be a bit much when they are blaming the leaves on the protesters! Damn them and their power to change the seasons!
This list is all well and good. But other than damage to the lawns, which were pretty trashed before the occupation, to my eyes the parks really look in pretty good shape.
These bathrooms are always trashed.
And there are a lot of leaves. I think they are kind of pretty.
Here’s the list, but what I want to see is what NORMAL park maintenance expenses for the winter are so we can compare… Only then can we really have a conversation.
General Park Repaint restroom interiors, exterior trim at Chapman and Lownsdale - $2,200
General Park Steam clean surfaces - restroom interiors, benches, poles - $3,000
Park Benches Replace 2 benches, repair 7 benches - $16,500
Bollards and chain Replace 5 bollards, one chain section - $4,000
Paths Power wash paths - $1,600
Restrooms Soda blast exteriors to remove graffiti - $1,100
Turf Rake to remove leaves and debris - $600
Turf Install erosion control- $1,000
Turf Winter - fill low areas, hydro mulch, lime, fertilize, seed, enzymes - $8,100
Turf Spring - fine grade, slice seed, top-dress - $3,800
Shrub beds Prune to correct damage, replace damaged plants, fertilize, mulch - $4,000
Trees Inspect, monitor tbd Trees Place soil to cover exposed roots - $750
Restrooms Chapman - Clean sewer, inspect, repair as needed - $600
Restrooms Chapman - repair sewer as needed (Potentially up to a $7,000) tbd
Restrooms Chapman - tile and grout repair- $700
Restrooms Chapman - Re-install door, jamb, and frame - $2,500
Restrooms Refurbish octagonal windows includes frames, re-glaze - $2,300
Restroom Lownsdale - Remove/ replace 3 destroyed toilets, one pedestal sink, repair plumbing in walls, wall mounted braces, floor attachments. - $28,000
Restroom Lownsdale - Repair door lock - $100
Restroom Lownsdale - Tile and grout repairs - $1,800
Art The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) to assess, recommend, implement repairs (cost paid by RACC) tbd
Memorials RACC to assess, recommend, implement repairs (RACC cost) tbd Fencing Temporary fencing - $3,200
SUBTOTAL $ 85,850
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| From 2011-10-06 Occupy Portland |
Occupy Economics from Softbox on Vimeo.
On November 13th 2011, economists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst drafted an open statement to the Occupy Wall Street movement pledging their support. Since then, more than 250 economists from around the world have added their names. Read more at econ4.org
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| From 2011-11 (Nov) |
On Howard Kurtz’s Reliable Sources this morning, Kurtz was asking if the media was over-hyping and over-blowing the consequences of the “Super Committee's” failure to come up with a debt reduction plan.
He asks if all these “terrible things” that may happen as a result of this failure are “just media hype?”
In these teasers for the segment, it seemed to me that he was missing the real punch line here, but after a weak panel discussion on the topic, he did get to the point I feel needs to be made.
The real story here is how the failure of the “Super Committee,” which was set up to actually succeed without a lot of the procedural chains that bind the rest of Congress, brings into sharp relief the fact that, in Kurtz’s words, “nobody seems to be able to get anything done in Washington.”
He points out how this failure “highlight[s] the utter dysfunction of Washington.”
To me, this is the real story here. Of course Congress will find a way to avert the “disaster” of across the board budget cuts, of course tax codes will remain ridiculously full of loop holes for the richest individuals and corporations… Of course the traditional and non-traditional media will make a lot of noise about small political maneuvers that distract everyone from the real issues and problems facing our country and binding our system…
Nothing much will change. Few real problems will be solved (or even mentioned), problems manufactured for use as political weapons will be howled about…
And nothing much will change.
This is the story that is not being covered.
I saw this quote earlier, from Andrew Sullivan, explaining the Occupation and Tea Party movements…
"The theme that connects them all is disenfranchisement, the sense that the world is shifting deeply and inexorably beyond our ability to control it through our democratic institutions. You can call this many things, but a “democratic deficit” gets to the nub of it. Democracy means rule by the people—however rough-edged, however blunted by representative government, however imperfect. But everywhere, the people feel as if someone else is now ruling them—and see no way to regain control."
The system has become nearly impossible to change. The far right’s reaction is to just break it. The left wallows in ineptitude. The center rolls its eyes and simmers in a weak broth of futility.
For awhile, I’ve been thinking that if I ever took a sign to an Occupation event, it would be this:
What is the solution? Well, there are no big universal fixes. But this is the conversation that we need to be having.
Finally, I loved this quote from Kurtz this morning: “miillions and millions unemployed and that is becoming an old story and that does bother me.”
Exactly. It should bother everyone.
Alan Moore – meet the man behind the protest mask | Books | The Observer:
…speaking on the phone from his home, Moore seems variously baffled, tickled, roused and quite pleased that his creation has become such a prominent emblem of modern activism.
"I suppose when I was writing V for Vendetta I would in my secret heart of hearts have thought: wouldn't it be great if these ideas actually made an impact? So when you start to see that idle fantasy intrude on the regular world… It's peculiar. It feels like a character I created 30 years ago has somehow escaped the realm of fiction."
Shepard Fairey Designs 'Occupy Hope' Poster, Replaces Obama's Face With 'V for Vendetta' Mask - Los Angeles News - The Informer:
Here we go again. L.A. street artist Shepard Fairey has released a second original design for the Occupy Wall Street movement -- and this time, instead of playing it safe with a wistful scene out of an Angela Davis documentary, he's given his own (in)famous HOPE poster from Obama's first election campaign a rebellious makeover.
It uses all the same colors and graphic-design aesthetics as the original. Only difference is, Fairey has replaced President Obama's heavenward gaze with a "V for Vendetta" Guy Fawkes mask -- one of the key props used by Occupy Wall Street protesters.
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| From 2011-11 Occupy Portland Eviction - Photo |
A Statement from the General Assembly of Occupy Portland | Occupy Portland:
We remind the people of Portland and the people of the world that we
have come together to address the deepest problems of our economic and
political system, and that these problems have no easy solutions—
especially when those openly seeking the solutions are painted as
filthy, ignorant, violent hooligans by those with a vested interest
in maintaining the current broken system. We remind them who we are:
mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, the unemployed and
underemployed, students, teachers, government employees, laborers, and
pensioners. We remind them, two months after this movement began, and
on the eve of the most lucrative commercial day of the year, to not
lose sight of the original animation of this movement.
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| From 000-FB Photo of the Day |
Photo of the Day, November 20, 2011. Taken November 17, 2011. Occupy Portland - N17: Occupy the Banks. Wells Fargo 900 5th Ave. Portland, Oregon. 12:29 PM
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| From 000-FB Photo of the Day |
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| 2011-11-17 (Occupy Portland - N17) - Photo |
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| From 2011-11 Occupy Portland Eviction - Photo |
De-escalation question for a possible General Assembly proposal - I think this would be the appropriate evolution of our Occupation, and would be wonderful if we accepted AND the city accepted.....this WOULD evolve this protest, and bring out those that are currently fearful of joining us:
Could we get a consensus, do you think, on proposing to Sam Adams and the Portland Police Bureau that:
IF, the police, regardless of agency affiliation, who respond to and engage with Occupy Portland protestors agree to no longer respond in full riot gear and agree to treat protestors with respect, calmly arresting those who engage in acts of civil disobedience without use of force,
THEN WE, Occupy Portland, AGREE to remain peaceful at all times, we will agree to follow all traffic signals to avoid creating dangerous situations for vehicular traffic and pedestrians [unless police are present directing traffic, or unless protestors have informed police 24 hours in advance of a specific location that may be impacted - without necessitating a permit], and we will agree to stay on the sidewalks except when crossing the streets [or when police have chosen to close a street in order to open it for us].
FURTHER, any among us who are NOT compliant with this agreement will be presumed to be exercising their right to civil disobedience and not representative of the entire group but instead deemed to have been behaving autonomously, and if the situation warrants the individual's arrest, they should be arrested peacefully without use of force. Rare circumstances may arise where use of force is necessary, and we understand that; however, all use of force should be reasonable and should not be predicated on fear of the "mob." Occupy Portland as a group believes that police are part of the 99% and we respect the work you do for our society. We believe you are paid for with our tax dollars to keep all Oregonians safe, including those being arrested, even if those being arrested are behaving poorly. You are not who we protest against.
There are also some among our group who autonomously believe that police are working with the opposition to the Occupy efforts, and that police are enforcing the will of the 1%. It is very difficult to convince them otherwise when police responding to our protest come apparently dressed for war.
THEREFORE, so long as police continue to arrive dressed in riot gear, there will be those among us who respond negatively, believing that they were correct that police ARE working to destroy our civil rights through use of force to benefit the 1%. Many of us would like to convince them that this is not true, but it is becoming harder and harder to do so, with the increasing use of police presence and use of force in Portland and other Occupy locations through the U.S. In fact, some individuals that did not believe as they do are beginning to become convinced after seeing what appears to them to be excessive use of force by police, making things even more difficult for everyone.
By agreeing to this proposal, we believe that protestors will be able to effectively utilize their first amendment right to free speech and freedom of assembly under both the United States and Oregon Constitutions as well as ensure the safety and comfort of all those in Portland. The Occupy Portland movement is made up of a diverse population that reacts in a variety of different ways to the sight of militarized police on our city streets, from fear to anger, as well as indifference. In addition, some respond with amusement or feel that the scene is entertaining, including both some within our movement as well as some of those opposed to our movement (as well as media on both sides). This idea that the militarized conflict with citizens is "entertaining" disturbs many of us, and creates an even more volatile situation - we believe a de-escalation is necessary to ensure the peace and safety of all.
While we understand that the mayor and city officials would like us to get permits and inform officials of a route prior to protests and marches, this is truly an impossible task. There is no person leading the marches, there is no body planning the events in detail - this is not a parade. Ideas are created in an organic environment, that anyone is able to divert from alone or in large groups at will. The intent of our protest is to reach the 99% to engage them and motivate them to demand change from their government. Any given idea is subject to change, by consensus or individuals, in advance or while in progress. We don't all agree on the solutions, nor do we all agree on the individual causes of the problems we face - therefore we don't all agree on where the protests are best applied. Sometimes we find a lot more support for one particular issue - like N17 (directed at the 99%) - then we do for other issues - like the Chase CEO protest (directed at the 1%).
We DO all agree that our government is no longer listening to us, if it ever was. Our one demand is that our government prove that it can hear us and is listening to us (even when our government disagrees with us, or when we are in the minority in our population). That is really all we want: a government that acknowledges it can hear us and is listening, even if it disagrees after doing so. We aren't necessarily after specific policy changes as a group (although individually, we have a diverse set of specific policy changes that we do work towards), but instead, we want to ensure that our government is still ours: a representative republic. We truly are the 99%.
Mayor Sam Adams and the Portland Police Bureau can prove they are listening to us by no longer sending in police appearing in riot gear, ready for conflict. Come dressed as we are accustomed to seeing you in our daily lives, when we encounter you on the streets. We will thank you by twinkling our support upon your arrival without the riot gear, and we will commit to holding ourselves and those around us accountable to follow traffic signals and laws for the safety of all Portland residents, as well as twinkling our support when the police bureau uses a proper level of force in arresting those committing acts of civil disobedience (such use of force should typically be just putting on the zip ties and escorting them away). If police at any time need to convey a message to us, mic check it so that we can all hear instead of bringing out the vans to blare confusing messages that result in misunderstandings (which sidewalk, officer?) and escalation in use of force. We will respond to such requests, with either actions of compliance or discussion through mic check. These discussions among police and protestors will ensure the safety of all, and ensure clarity from both sides. And the option for non-violent arrests of protestors for civil disobedience will always remain available to police and will be responded to without resistance from protesters.
This will show the world the effectiveness of direct democracy in our local government, and will ensure that valuable tax dollars aren't wasted, and will allow Occupy Portland to engage in peaceful acts of civil disobedience without threat of harm to the individuals, the protestors or the public at large. It will also set the example for how to allow this protest to happen peacefully across the nation. The Occupy protest, along with many others who are not part of our movement [yet] understand that there IS a problem that we are all facing, and the time is now to discuss solutions. Use of force will not discourage this protest, it only increases our numbers and the frustrations on both the part of city officials and protestors. We have always tried to work with the city officials to maintain good relations. We would like the city to return to respecting that relationship and showing goodwill towards protestors, as we will do in kind.
- I intentionally left wiggle room for those among us who will inevitably refuse to conform, and cross against signals or refuse to move from a particular spot, such as a roadway, etc - I get it, and I think our city does too - but I think many of us WOULD agree to this - and it would lessen the fear by the city that they "need" such massive use of force ....
**If this is really getting such overwhelming positive support - and continues to - we should really have a vote on this IMMEDIATELY at tonight's meeting as an emergency proposal, as this issue is getting to be quite dangerous and should not be postponed any longer than necessary...
